Automatic wagon-brake.



PATENTED JUNE 11, 1907.

C. GARVER. AUTOMATIC WAGON BRAKE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 1, 1906.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

WITNESSES, gm l/Vl/E/VTOR w? %J ATTOR/VEVB.

PATENTED JUNE 11, 1907.

0. GARVER.

AUTOMATIC WAGON BRAKE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 1, 1906.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

WITH/E8858:

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CHARLES GARVER, OF FORT WAYNE, INDIANA.

AUTOMATIC WAGON-BRAKE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 11, 1907.

Application filed February 1, 1906. Serial No. 298,904.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES GARVER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Fort Wayne, in the county of Allen, in the State of lndiana,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Wagon--Brakes; and I do hereby declare that the folhicle approximatelyproportional to the down grade and load, and also adapted toautomatically lock the vehicle against a retrograde movement upon anincline when the vehicle has been temporarily halted in its ascentthereof.

My invention consists of a pair of companion brakes arranged incooperative relation with the rear wheels; means for applying the brakesto the rear wheels with varying power; means for automatically releasingthe brakes; means for automatically locking the vehicle against aretrograde movement upon an incline; and means for permitting a freeswinging movement of either the front axle or the double-tree withoutany derangement or interference with the brake actuating means.

The principal novel features of my inventionare the means for applyingthe brakes; the means for locking the'vehicle against a retrogrademovement upon an incline; and the means for guarding the brake mechanismagainst interference by a swinging movement of the double-tree.

Similar reference numerals indicate like parts throughout the severalviews of the drawings, in which V Figure 1 is a side elevation of thebrake mechanism applied to the front of the rear wagon-wheel partlybroken away, and showing the relative arrangement of the uphill brakeand its actuating means. Fig. 2 is a lan view of a similar arrangementof the brake mechanism. Fig. 3 is a plan view of a portion of a vehicleto which my invention. has been applied with the down-hill brakemechanism removed. Fig. 4 is a cross-section through the race-way on theline X-X of Fig. 3 showing the relative arrangement of the initial meansfor actuating the uphill brake.

To the front axle 1 beneath the sandboard 2 is pivotally secured theforward end of the reach 3 in the usual manner, Fig. 3. The rear end ofthis reach is connected with the rear axle 4 and hounds 5 in the usualmanner. At a proper point on the rear hounds is fixed a horizontaltransverse brake-beam 6 in proper relation to the adjacent perimeter ofthe rear wagon wheels 7.

My improved brake mechanism is duplicated, one being provided for eachrear wheel, and mounted upon the supporting casting 8 having upon itsinner face a lateral bracketarm 9 which is rigidly secured to the lowerface of respective ends of the beam 6. The forward end of the casting 8has an upright laterally apertured lug 10 having a fixed pivot 17 onwhich is pivotally mounted the bifurcated forward end of the arm 11,whose rear end is longitudinally apertured to receive the sliding arm 12provided near its rear end with the upright lug 13 having upon its outerface a lateral lug 141 for the purpose hereafter described. On the rearextremity of the arm 12 is pivotally mounted the brake-shoe 28 in anysuitable manner, preferably by means of the pin 29, Fig. 1. The arm 11has near the middle of its length an upright apertured lug 15 in whichis fixed one end of the rod 1o whose other end is slidably mounted inthe lug 13, on this rod is loosely mounted the coilspring 16 with itsends bearing against the respective lugs 13 and 15, thereby tending tohold the arm 12 in the extended position shown in Fig. 1.

On the inner extended end of the pivot 17 is loosely mounted the lever18 whose upper end is pivotally connected to the lug 13 by means of therod 19. The lower end of the lever 18 is pivotally connected to theadjacent outer end of the lever 52 by means of the short rod 20, Fig. 2.

The outer face of the casting 8 is provided with a pair of verticallyrecessed upright lugs 21 in which is slidably mounted the foot 22 havinga screw-threaded shank 23 on which is loosely mounted the coiled spring24 having one end bearing against the outer lug 21 and its inner endbearin against the milled adjusting nut 25. The foot 22 islongitudinally adjustable by means of the milled nut To the lower faceof the reach 3 near the rear axle is rigidly fixed a ball race-way 35 ofany proper construction, but preferably formed of a plurality of plates36, in diagonal arrangement relative to a horizontal plane,

and having their adjacent edges separated by a proper space, Fig. 4. Inthis race-way is loosely mounted a metallic ball 37 of proper weight,inclosed by a follower frame 38. To the forward side of this followerare pivotally secured the companion levers 39, Fig. 1, whose forwardends are pivotallyconnected to the adjacent inner ends of the respectivetransverse levers 40 pivotally fulcrumed in the fixed hangers 41 on thebeam 6.

On the lower face of the beam 6 near its opposite ends are pivotallyfulcrumed the horizontal levers 42 whose outer ends are adapted for anactuating engagement with the respective pendant-arms 31 and whose innerends are adapted to be actuated by the outer ends of the respectivelevers 40, Fig. 3.

On the lower facev of the beam 6 are fixed the forwardly projectinghangers 43 on which are fulcrumed the companion levers 52 whose innerends are pivotally connected to the bar 44 at or near its rear end bymeans of the short rods 45. This bar 44. arranged in longitudinalvertical alinement with the reach 3, has a small loose pulley or idler46 in its forward end on which is arranged a rope or cable 47 Whose endsare secured to' the double-tree 48 at points equally distant from itscenter, and upon opposite sides thereof. The cable 47 also passes overthe guide-pulleys or idlers 55 on the rear edge of the sandboard 2. Thisdouble-tree, of common form, is loosely mounted in an arched metal strap49 having a longitudinal slot 50 in which is arranged a pin 51 fixed inthe double tree midway of its ends to prevent any lateral derangementthereof, whereby the doubletree has a limited longitudinal play in thestrap.

The operation of my invention thus described is briefly stated asfollows :So long as a sufficient draft is exerted upon the double-treeto draw the vehicle the double tree will be slightly forward of theposition shown in Fig. 3 with the pin 51 resting in the forward positionof the slot 50, thereby securely holding the brake-shoes 28 out ofcontact with the wheels through the medium of its connecting meansconsisting of the cable 47, the bar 44, rods 45 levers 52, rods 20,levers 18, rods 19 and arms 12, and against the stress of the coilspring 16, the strength of which is normally sufiicient to force thebrake-shoe into contact with the wheel. Obviously, when the double-treeis relieved of draft thereon it, as well as the other above mentionedconnecting means will automatically assume the respective positionsshown in Fig. 1 and 3 under the recoil or stress of the spring 16,thereby forcing the arm 12 rearwardly and bringing the shoe 28 intocontact with the perimeter of the wheel above the horizontal plane ofthe wheel hub 53, and of the fulcrum 17 of the arm 11, whereby thegreater the load on the vehicle the greater will be the consequentstrain y upon the brake-shoe and upon the coil spring 16, because sincethe shoe 28' engages the wheel above the plane of the fulcrum of theshoe supporting arm, the forward movement of the wheel will force theshoe downward against the stress of the spring 16. This stress upon theshoe will be proportional to the load because the further the shoe isforced downward the more it shortens the distance between the shoe andits fulcrum. When the shoe 28 has been thus forced downward apredetermined limit the forward end of the lug 14 on the arm 12 willengage the adjacent face of the foot 22,.whereby the resisting power ofthe brake will be increased by the additional resistance of the spring24. These two springs can, of course, be of any proper strength. Whendraft is again a plied to the double-tree, as when for examp e thevehicle has reached the bottom of the hill or incline, the saidconnecting means will be forwardly actuated as described, thereby,automatically with-drawing it from its engagement, in which position itwill remain so long as the double tree is retained by the draft in itsforward limit. It is thus seen that the action of the brake isautomatic, and that the power exerted by the brake is approximatelyproportional to the weight of the load. It is evident that as the cable47 asses over the guide pulleys 55 and the 1dler 46 any swinging motionof the doubletree as in turning the vehicle will have no effect upon thebrake actuating means or connectlons.

The 0 eration of the uphill brake is as folmally hang in the osition sown in full lines in Fig. 1 with the all 37 and its containing caseresting in the forward end of the raceway. When the vehicle starts toascend an incline the ball will descend by gravity to the other end ofthe race-way, carrying with it its containing cage, thereby actuatingthe levers 39, 40, and 42, and elevating the shoe 33 to the positionshown in Fig. 1 in contact with the wheel. As this shoe is eccentricallymounted the forward motion of the wheel has no tendency to form alocking engagement therewith, simply kee s up a bobbing contact havingno apprecia le friction. As

I I 5 lows he shoe 33 is so suspended as to norsoon however, as thewheel starts upon a retrograde movement, it will firmly engage theadjacent plane face 56 of the shoe 33 and force it upward, therebydecreasing the distance between its fulcrum point and the wheel becauseof the curvature of the perimeter of the wheel, thereby firmly wedgingthe shoe into a holding engagement and prevents any retrograde movementupon an incline. Obviously, as soon as the wheel is given a forwardmotion it will unlock the shoe, and keep it bobbing harmlessly upon itsperimeter as before. WVhen descending an incline the ball 37 will returnby gravity to its former position at the forward end of the race-way,thereby forcing the shoe 33 away from contact with the wheel.

When the vehicle is upon level ground the shoe 33, having a tendency toassume by gravity the position shown in Fig. 1, because its greaterweight is below its pivoted point, will itself move the ball forwardsufficiently to cause it to remain out of contact with the wheel.

Having thus described my invention and the manner of employing the samewhat I desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In an automatic wagon-brake, a movable double-tree; a brake-shoeoperatively connected with the double-tree; means for normally actuatingthe brake-shoe against the draft of the motive power upon thedouble-tree; and auxiliary means forautomatically increasing the holdingpower of the initial brake-shoe actuating means after it has beenbrought into action.

2. In an automatic wagon-brake, a laterally slidable double-tree; alurality of brakeshoes adapted to engage t e rear wheels of the vehicle;a flexible connection between the doubletree and the brake-shoes; meansfor normally actuating the brake-shoes and for correspondingly actuatingthe double-tree simultaneously; auxiliary means for automaticallyincreasing the power of the brake actuating means after it has beenbrought into action; and means for automatically bringing the auxiliarymeans into action after the brake-shoe has been pressed to itsengagement by the said initial actuating means.

3. In an automatic wagon-brake, a sup porting casting; a two-partextensible arm pivoted at one end on said casting and carrying upon itsother end a pivoted brake-shoe in cooperative relation with theperimeter of the rear wheel means for normally in aintaining the saidarm in its extended position to bring the shoe into action against thedraft upon the vehicle; means for overcoming the arm extensible means bythe action of the said draft and auxiliary means for increasing theholding power of the initial brake-shoe actuating means.

4. In wagon-brake mechanism means for automatically locking the vehicleagainst a retrograde movement upon an incline consisting of an eccentricbrake-shoe pivotally suspended from a proper support in cooperativerelation with the rear wheel and below the plane of its axial center, ahorizontal raceway; a ball movable on said raceway by gravity; and apivotal actuating connection between said ball and said brake shoe.

5. An automatic vehicle brake, adapted to prevent a retrograde movementupon an incline, consisting of a ball raceway in horizontal-arrangement;a ball mounted on said raceway and actuated thereon by gravity; and aneccentric brake-shoe pivotally sus pended below the plane of the axialcenter of the wheel and in cooperative relation withthe perimeterthereof.

Signed by me at Fort l/Vayne, Allen county, State of Indiana, this 29thday of January, A. D. 1906.

CHARLES GARVER.

Witnesses:

WVA'rTs B. DENNY, LULU E. BULMAHN.

